Is Sethi’s Exit A Valid Point?

Does sacking Chairman PCB means a big deal? When he got elected last year, people did criticize him and tagged as a person not fit enough for the job since he does not have any background in sports. But everything turned out to be different and Sethi has been running PCB’s administration very well since he got elected.

In just one year, Sethi has achieved some targets which previous chairmen couldn’t. He brought some changes in the domestic circuit, improved its standard. Laid out some strict code of conducts for the players and did implement them when needed.

Took Pakistan’s case of dispute with India in ICC and most importantly, played a big role in bringing International Cricket back home.

Sethi’s efforts throughout his 1 year tenure can be appreciated without being biased. But Pakistan’s newly elected government believes that every national institution should consist people who are qualified enough to be a part of it and so they believe Sethi is not fit enough to be chairman PCB due to his political background.

They newly elected government is expected to probe an investigation against Sethi, after which he’s expected to be sacked or disqualified as the chairman of PCB.

Sources suggest that the newly elected government believes that the cricket board needs to stay away as much it can from politics and political connections. It is expected that ex-cricketers are expected to run the board and an ex-cricketer is expected to be appointed as a chairman PCB.

On one side, that’s exactly what a cricket board needs, to stay away from political pressure but the way Sethi has performed as a chairman PCB makes it a little tense to see him removed just like that.

Yes, people with a background and experience in cricket can run a board but there can never be a guarantee of professional administration. Sethi has been amazing when it comes to administrating. He’s improved it a lot in a very little time.

But since, it seems very impossible for Sethi to survive this, the government needs to take very cautious steps in order to maintain PCB as a healthy and free from political pressure institution.

Ex-cricketers in past have done some great damage to the cricket, for example, let’s take Ejaz Butt’s tenure as chairman of PCB. The team’s performance was below par, spot fixing scandal couldn’t be handled and board started to have frustrating relation with its players.

The chairman should be selected on merit, by seeing how good he can control the administration. Moreover, how much further improvements he can bring in the domestic circuit, specially the First-Class cricket.

As Imran Khan has said in recent times, that he believes First-Class cricket should be played on regional basis rather than regional and departmental all together. So that might be happening in few years but someone who can monitor all the regional cricket federations is needed as it will be a one step ahead in domestic cricket with us.

Leaving Sethi might be wrong but it is not right either to ignore someone with a background and experience in this field.